Title: Trump‘s Transition Team Aims to Remove U.S. from WHO on Inauguration Day
WASHINGTON – Donald Trump’s transition team is pressing ahead with plans to end the U.S. membership in the World Health Organization (WHO) on the first day of the new administration, according to financial Times, citing experts familiar with the incoming president’s entourage.
The U.S. is the largest funder of the UN agency, contributing 16% of its budget for the 2022-2023 period. The loss of Washington’s financing would seriously harm the WHO’s ability to respond to global health crises, experts warn.
"USA leaving would leave a huge hole in the funding and leadership of global health," said Lawrence Gostin, a health globalisation expert at Georgetown University. "There’s nobody else ready to fill that gap."
Gostin suggests the organisation would likely have to "significantly reduce its scientific staff" and doubts the European Union could fill the financial void, paving the way for increased Chinese influence.
During his previous term, Trump started the withdrawal process in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing the organisation of being under Chinese control. However, in 2021, Joe Biden halted the process and renewed ties with the WHO on his first day in office.
An expert quoted by the medium pointed out the "symbolic" nature of Trump’s potential move to reverse Biden’s decision on the exact same day he is sworn in, January 20.
Trump’s team did not directly comment on this potential withdrawal, but a source close to the plans told FT, "Why bother with the same WHO we left behind in the first administration? It’s not like we’ll care much what they have to say."
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